When Women Travel

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, I celebrate my travels with my own.

Where the queens lived in Amer Fort, Jaipur, Rajastham, India

Yahoo! We are going to Jaipur. But that is cliché. Who cares? It’s going to be fun. Jeans, tees, shorts, lingerie, make-up, sandals, something glittery…. Wait, its going to be the 20th of the month. I will have my periods. Menstruation cup, tampons, sanitary napkins… napkins. Dark panties, light ones might stain, no take these period panties, says Anamika. Check this site, myadira.com for the different period panties.

Searching for good places, we chalked out a plan. It was an all-women’s trip to the royal city. It is the pink city, an apt colour for the modern woman who likes tripping around. Moreover, Rajasthan is friendly to tourists, chips in Sylvia. We can take care of ourselves. We are history buffs, we like a bit of nightlife and we like a bit of spice and we like a bit of nature. Jaipur offers it all, between the hills, the forts, the water body, the colourful lights and the shopping.

Waiting for a show, City Palace, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Besides, we found a good hostel. Yes, we decided to go the whole student way in our ripe old age. We decided to break the luxury traveller tag to do something new. A little out of the box trip never hurt anyone. Besides, it gave us a chance to explore what the young ones at home were always dying to do. We did keep our safety measures in place. Tagged everyone on posts, put our location, shared the travel map, GPS location, carried some emergency numbers, generally moved everyone out of their comfort zone to be a virtual partner in this trip.

Life wasn’t that easy when I was small. It was a black and white India. Women travelled with families and girls did not stay out late. Sunset was the time to be indoors. But as I reached my 20s, India changed. It became freer and eventually it is fast coming of age for the urban dweller. In fact, stats say India is coming close to gender equality. Perhaps its movies like Jab We Met, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge or Queen which break the stereotype of being a woman in 21st century India. Perhaps, it’s the fact #metoo ruffled quite a few feathers in India. Perhaps, it’s the fact that women have fallen in love with their femininity and the ways they express this in.

Bandhani dupattas, Bapu Bazaar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

This isn’t the first time, we are travelling together. This isn’t the first time that I am breaking out of my shell. But as a woman who is living in a changing society, I thank my stars that I am an urban dweller. I see women stuck to their own kind, but I am allowed to move out in the free world to chase the breeze.

Even the tamest trip is an exploration. Once out of confinement, the heart rejoices and the world becomes a bird. You break the norms, you sing, you dance and you begin to embrace life.